REAL SCOOP: Suspect charged in Bhangu murder

IHIT released photos of a potential suspect in the murder of Birinderjeet Justin Bhangu. Bhangu was shot to death on March 13, just before 2:30 p.m. outside the Comfort Inn Hotel in the 8200-block of 166th Street.IHIT handout

A B.C. man has been charged with the brazen afternoon slaying outside a Surrey hotel in March.

Johnny Steven Drynock, 22, is facing one count of first-degree murder in the March 13 shooting of Birinderjeet Justin Bhangu in the parking lot of the Comfort Inn Hotel.

Drynock remains in custody in Kamloops after being charged with three firearms offences last month in Merritt.

“Following two months of exhaustive work and intensive evidence gathering, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has received charge approval for first degree murder against Mr. Drynock,” Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound said Wednesday. “The media and the public played an integral role in assisting IHIT identify the suspect and ensuring any issues surrounding public safety were not overlooked.”

Drynock is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Surrey on Friday, Pound said.

She said the investigation remains on-going and that IHIT is looking for information on possible criminal links and the motive for the murder.

Bhangu was in the driver’s seat of an Acura MDX when his suspected shooter backed into a nearby parking spot in a Nissan Pathfinder about 2:20 in the afternoon.

The suspect was seen in video exited his vehicle and approaching the driver’s side of the Acura.

He began firing shots at Bhangu at 2:24 p.m., IHIT said in an earlier release.

The suspect then ran back to his vehicle and fled the parking lot west bound making a right hand turn onto Fraser Hwy.

Police found the Pathfinder used in the murder in Kelowna on March 14.

Bhangu, 29, was a well-known gangster with links to some of the recent violence in the Lower Mainland. He had a criminal record dating back more than a decade driving offences, property crimes and drug trafficking.

His family issued a statement through IHIT Wednesday:

“This devastating incident is something that has changed our lives forever; it is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of our son, our brother and our friend,” it said.

“Birinder was a very loving, respectful and warm hearted individual who did not deserve to be taken from us so soon in this horrendous way.”

for anyone actually saying anything on this guy and what he did, fuck yall for every single opinion on him. no one knows this kid like how i got to know him, and knows nothing about his upbringing and where he came from. its a very very sad thing he did yes, but i still believe too this fucking day, he did it in spite of his own brother being shot and killed cold blooded by this guys crew. i had the privilege of getting to know johnny on a very very humble and loving experience and this guy without a doubt fell back into his old ways. he not lost but one but two brothers now too this gang life, johnny did what he needed too do and this is how his life will be but dont go off on him like you know him

as a mb metis with a white mother id like to comment on the no tax paying crap. They all pay tax on reserve & a city addy means u pay tax on reserve lol free ‘welfare’ type education & only if ur approved if i was treaty n never got taxed i could live well working @ mcdo’s

the RCMP would like to formally thank the dry-rat goofs from this blog for solely supplying the information needed to arrest this individual. If it wasn’t for the loose lip gangsters staying up past their bedtimes to run their mouthes on their daddies computer, this guy would have gotten away with it.

You Brampton guys need to chill out and stop trying to make Brampton into a Surrey. You guys are a bunch of middle class kids who don’t need to gang bang and be runners to “make it”. Go learn to make some shatter, invent a new kinda vapo, quit trying to be black.

Un-related question. Is Kwesi Millington still employed by the RCMP? He is the Constable who was found guilty for perjury in the death of the polish immigrant at YVR. I ask because it’s unclear from all of the media articles if he is still considered a member of the RCMP and employed by them. All of the articles still refer to him as Cst. Kwesi Millington and none that I have read make mention of him actually being dismissed/discharged from the RCMP.

Many of you have no idea how many low joes are willing to shoot someone for a quick score. There are lots like this guy all over BC, the product of generations of addiction and broken homes. This guy is one of many. People exploit these people who usually drug addicted to do these things. They aren’t the brightest but get the job done. And the victim is not respectable, and his parents need to declare this or be deported. This man was a drug dealer far from respect.

I dunno why you don’t post most of my comments, yet u let racist posts all the time. Just cuz I post against the system, it’s fkn ridiculous. You’re a good reporter Kim, one of the few good local reporters; your comment censorship (if it’s you doing it) is slanted in what I think is likely political though, and certainly unfair.

I am NOT censoring. A whole bunch of comments are going into spam or trash and I don’t know why. It’s happening automatically. I will check those queues and move the comments there back to the regular comments section. Sorry about that.

Just a correction on your answer – if someone is convicted of 1st or 2nd degree murder, it is not 25-life. It is an automatic life sentence, period. Parole eligibility is set at 25 years for 1st degree and between 10-25 for 2nd degree. That doesn’t mean the person gets out at their eligibility date either. AND, if/when they do get out on parole, they are on parole FOR LIFE. So any issues, parole violations, security concerns……they go back to prison and have to wait another 5 years to be eligible again.

Maybe he is apart of some native gang from back east who seems to have moved into BC and will do freelance hits…just a theory though. Maybe some brown guys managed to get a hold of Indian Posse, Redd Alert or something. Wasn’t there a crew in Kelowna who set up shop and came from back east?

You think the american justice system doesnt pay rats? You think they will pay 400k to this guy for these surrey dial a dopers? The other trial was a serious isue where lots of white men died. Nobody cares about surrey brown deaths. Second, if nobody will talk would you rather an entire case fall due to lack of evidence? You think 400k offsets the millions society loses with bad folks on the streets?

He rolled with Abi and darshan. And I think darshan is from Merrit. Kind of funny how shooter was found in darshan s home turf. Maybe Bhangu s buddies had him clipped and hid the shooter in a city where they’re from.

yup, him and his bro lived in William’s Lake or 100 mile or something too. His bro Michael (who he was with when arrested on these gun charges, bar watch tried to check id’s because thought they were underage) got released and then caught an attempted murder charge 2 days later. oh and thats not a mask thats what he looks like.

he is. Him and his bro actually lived in 100 mile house too, his bro still does. he was with his bro when originally arrested on gun charge mentioned here. Bar Watch was tryna check em cuz they looked underage lol. Then they ran and got caught with the gun, it was in the news up here. I guess they held Johnny, but Michael got released and then caught an attempted murder charge like 2 days later with his friend Kleon cuz they shot at some guys who came by a house looking for them. Fucked family. oh yeah and thats for sure not a mask thats what Johnny looks like his face just looks weird and shit haha.

So he wasn’t brought in from out of town like all the “experts” suggested, and he wasn’t a pro.Personally I’m in shock as I’ve watched so many thriller movies over my life, and thought that must be the way it is.

Hey Kim,
I was just wondering why your article isn’t stating facts? Do you have any proof he was a “well-known gangster”? Ihit never released in their statement he was a gangster? They also never stated that Birinder was linked to some of the recent violence in the Lower Mainland? I’m confused as to where you’re getting your information from? Where does it state on his criminal record he was charged with any of the offences you’re stating?

You’re delusional. They were NOT dropped. The police highlighted his criminal history at the time of his murder. Here is a quote from the RCMP news release on March 17: “Mr. Bhangu is known to police and, while a motive hasn’t been confirmed, it is believed that this shooting was as a result of his criminal lifestyle.”

I am not going through all his charges/convictions one-by-one for you as I have other work to do today. But here are JUST the details on a trafficking conviction in 2010:

You got some of it right. The RCMP gather the evidence. They recommend that charges be laid. Crown approves the file, decides on what the charges will ultimately be, and they are responsible for gaining a conviction. That’s how it works in BC.